Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Michael Wagner Vero Beach Florida Chief Marketing Officer
Michael Wagner Vero Beach Florida Chief Marketing Officer Palm Beach Gardens
Monday, December 16, 2013
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Duane Michael Wagner Vero Beach Florida
Michael Wagner Miami Dolphins
Chief Marketing Officer 727-557-9993
Highly accomplished, visionary executive with proven ability to impact financial, social, and political goals through commitment to global issues, innovation, and diversity. Results-oriented, decisive leader offering 15+ years of success in sales, operations, and marketing. Deliver excellence in execution and developing people, utilizing international / multicultural experience to provide unique perspective and creative solutions, achieving high performance within diverse organizational cultures. Demonstrate rapid advancement based on high performance, with the ability to quickly transfer skills across industries. Self-starter with strong entrepreneurial spirit, high integrity, and solid work ethic; creative, highly analytical, and able to successfully manage multiple concurrent projects with keen attention to detail, excellent organization, and outstanding persuasive skills. Able to skillfully inspire, motivate, and lead teams for consistently winning outcomes.
Duane Michael Wagner Vero Beach Florida
Count on Yoga: 38 Ways Yoga Keeps You Fit
If you're a passionate yoga practitioner, you've probably noticed the ways yoga works—maybe you're sleeping better or getting fewer colds or just feeling more relaxed and at ease. But if you've ever tried telling a newbie how it works, you might find that explanations like "It increases the flow of prana" or "It brings energy up your spine" fall on deaf or skeptical ears.
As it happens, Western science is starting to provide some concrete clues as to how yoga works to improve health, heal aches and pains, and keep sickness at bay. Once you understand them, you'll have even more motivation to step onto your mat, and you probably won't feel so tongue-tied the next time someone wants Western proof.
I myself have experienced yoga's healing power in a very real way. Weeks before a trip to India in 2002 to investigate yoga therapy, I developed numbness and tingling in my right hand. After first considering scary things like a brain tumor and multiple sclerosis, I figured out that the cause of the symptoms was thoracic outlet syndrome, a nerve blockage in my neck and chest.
Despite the uncomfortable symptoms, I realized how useful my condition could be during my trip. While visiting various yoga therapy centers, I would submit myself for evaluation and treatment by the various experts I'd arranged to observe. I could try their suggestions and see what worked for me. While this wasn't exactly a controlled scientific experiment, I knew that such hands-on learning could teach me things I might not otherwise understand.
My experiment proved illuminating. At the Vivekananda ashram just outside of Bangalore, S. Nagarathna, M.D., recommended breathing exercises in which I imagined bringing prana (vital energy) into my right upper chest. Other therapy included asana, pPranayama,meditation, chanting, lectures on philosophy, and various kriya (internal cleansing practices). At the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai and from A.G. Mohan and his wife, Indra, who practice just outside of Chennai, I was told to stop practicingHeadstand and Shoulderstand in favor of gentle asana coordinated with the breath. In Pune, S.V. Karandikar, a medical doctor, recommended practices with ropes and belts to put traction on my spine and exercises that taught me to use my shoulder blades to open my upper back.
Thanks to the techniques I learned in India, advice from teachers in the United States, and my own exploration, my chest is more flexible than it was, my posture has improved, and for more than a year, I've been free of symptoms.
My experience inspired me to pore over the scientific studies I'd collected in India as well as the West to identify and explain how yoga can both prevent disease and help you recover from it. Here is what I found.
Flex Time
1 Improved flexibility is one of the first and most obvious benefits of yoga. During your first class, you probably won't be able to touch your toes, never mind do a backbend. But if you stick with it, you'll notice a gradual loosening, and eventually, seemingly impossible poses will become possible. You'll also probably notice that aches and pains start to disappear. That's no coincidence. Tight hips can strain the knee joint due to improper alignment of the thigh and shinbones. Tight hamstrings can lead to a flattening of the lumbar spine, which can cause back pain. And inflexibility in muscles and connective tissue, such as fascia and ligaments, can cause poor posture.
Strength Test
2 Strong muscles do more than look good. They also protect us from conditions like arthritis and back pain, and help prevent falls in elderly people. And when you build strength through yoga, you balance it with flexibility. If you just went to the gym and lifted weights, you might build strength at the expense of flexibility.
Standing Orders
3 Your head is like a bowling ball—big, round, and heavy. When it's balanced directly over an erect spine, it takes much less work for your neck and back muscles to support it. Move it several inches forward, however, and you start to strain those muscles. Hold up that forward-leaning bowling ball for eight or 12 hours a day and it's no wonder you're tired. And fatigue might not be your only problem. Poor posture can cause back, neck, and other muscle and joint problems. As you slump, your body may compensate by flattening the normal inward curves in your neck and lower back. This can cause pain and degenerative arthritis of the spine.
Joint Account
4 Each time you practice yoga, you take your joints through their full range of motion. This can help prevent degenerative arthritis or mitigate disability by "squeezing and soaking" areas of cartilage that normally aren't used. Joint cartilage is like a sponge; it receives fresh nutrients only when its fluid is squeezed out and a new supply can be soaked up. Without proper sustenance, neglected areas of cartilage can eventually wear out, exposing the underlying bone like worn-out brake pads.
Spinal Rap
5 Spinal disks—the shock absorbers between the vertebrae that can herniate and compress nerves—crave movement. That's the only way they get their nutrients. If you've got a well-balanced asana practice with plenty of backbends, forward bends, and twists, you'll help keep your disks supple.
Bone Zone
6It's well documented that weight-bearing exercise strengthens bones and helps ward off osteoporosis. Many postures in yoga require that you lift your own weight. And some, like Downward- and Upward-Facing Dog, help strengthen the arm bones, which are particularly vulnerable to osteoporotic fractures. In an unpublished study conducted at California State University, Los Angeles, yoga practice increased bone density in the vertebrae. Yoga's ability to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol (see Number 11) may help keep calcium in the bones.
Flow Chart
7 Yoga gets your blood flowing. More specifically, the relaxation exercises you learn in yoga can help your circulation, especially in your hands and feet. Yoga also gets more oxygen to your cells, which function better as a result. Twisting poses are thought to wring out venous blood from internal organs and allow oxygenated blood to flow in once the twist is released. Inverted poses, such as Headstand, Handstand, and Shoulderstand, encourage venous blood from the legs and pelvis to flow back to the heart, where it can be pumped to the lungs to be freshly oxygenated. This can help if you have swelling in your legs from heart or kidney problems. Yoga also boosts levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the tissues. And it thins the blood by making platelets less sticky and by cutting the level of clot-promoting proteins in the blood. This can lead to a decrease in heart attacks and strokes since blood clots are often the cause of these killers.
Lymph Lesson
8 When you contract and stretch muscles, move organs around, and come in and out of yoga postures, you increase the drainage of lymph (a viscous fluid rich in immune cells). This helps the lymphatic system fight infection, destroy cancerous cells, and dispose of the toxic waste products of cellular functioning.
Heart Start
9 When you regularly get your heart rate into the aerobic range, you lower your risk of heart attack and can relieve depression. While not all yoga is aerobic, if you do it vigorously or take flow or Ashtanga classes, it can boost your heart rate into the aerobic range. But even yoga exercises that don't get your heart rate up that high can improve cardiovascular conditioning. Studies have found that yoga practice lowers the resting heart rate, increases endurance, and can improve your maximum uptake of oxygen during exercise—all reflections of improved aerobic conditioning. One study found that subjects who were taught only pranayama could do more exercise with less oxygen.
Pressure Drop
10 If you've got high blood pressure, you might benefit from yoga. Two studies of people with hypertension, published in the British medical journal The Lancet, compared the effects of Savasana (Corpse Pose) with simply lying on a couch. After three months, Savasana was associated with a 26-point drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number) and a 15-point drop in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number—and the higher the initial blood pressure, the bigger the drop.
Worry Thwarts
11 Yoga lowers cortisol levels. If that doesn't sound like much, consider this. Normally, the adrenal glands secrete cortisol in response to an acute crisis, which temporarily boosts immune function. If your cortisol levels stay high even after the crisis, they can compromise the immune system. Temporary boosts of cortisol help with long-term memory, but chronically high levels undermine memory and may lead to permanent changes in the brain. Additionally, excessive cortisol has been linked with major depression, osteoporosis (it extracts calcium and other minerals from bones and interferes with the laying down of new bone), high blood pressure, and insulin resistance. In rats, high cortisol levels lead to what researchers call "food-seeking behavior" (the kind that drives you to eat when you're upset, angry, or stressed). The body takes those extra calories and distributes them as fat in the abdomen, contributing to weight gain and the risk of diabetes and heart attack.
Happy Hour
12 Feeling sad? Sit in Lotus. Better yet, rise up into a backbend or soar royally into King Dancer Pose. While it's not as simple as that, one study found that a consistent yoga practice improved depression and led to a significant increase in serotonin levels and a decrease in the levels of monoamine oxidase (an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters) and cortisol. At the University of Wisconsin, Richard Davidson, Ph.D., found that the left prefrontal cortex showed heightened activity in meditators, a finding that has been correlated with greater levels of happiness and better immune function. More dramatic left-sided activation was found in dedicated, long-term practitioners.
Weighty Matters
13 Move more, eat less—that's the adage of many a dieter. Yoga can help on both fronts. A regular practice gets you moving and burns calories, and the spiritual and emotional dimensions of your practice may encourage you to address any eating and weight problems on a deeper level. Yoga may also inspire you to become a more conscious eater.
Low Show
14 Yoga lowers blood sugar and LDL ("bad") cholesterol and boosts HDL ("good") cholesterol. In people with diabetes, yoga has been found to lower blood sugar in several ways: by lowering cortisol and adrenaline levels, encouraging weight loss, and improving sensitivity to the effects of insulin. Get your blood sugar levels down, and you decrease your risk of diabetic complications such as heart attack, kidney failure, and blindness.
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Duane Michael Wagner Vero Beach a Florida
Monday, December 2, 2013
Michael Wagner Chief Marketing Strategist
Michael Wagner Vero Beach Florida Chief Marketing Strategist
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Duane Michael Wagner Vero Beach Florida Chief Marketing Strategist
Duane Michael Wagner Chief Marketing Strategist Vero Beach 772-532-6397
Back in Action Chiropractic and Yoga Center Palm City
13 Extraordinary Benefits of Yoga
Photo by Allen Elliotte. The benefits of Bikram Yoga are many and endless. Bikram’s signature series of 26 postures and two breathing exercises will help you with a multitude of afflictions ranging from – thyroid problems to weight loss, stress to insomnia, diabetes to knee problems, kidney conditions to heart disease, depression to blood pressure, arthritis to back pain – allowing you to maintain exceptional health for years to come. The postures work every part of your body down to a cellular level flushing toxins out of your system.
Bikram Yoga is designed for EVERYONE – any age, size, shape, condition, or problem. To receive the benefits, a regular practice of 3 – 4 classes per week is necessary. Beginners are encouraged to start slow and take it easy for the first few classes. Benefits happen right away for some, including normalizing your weight. and it usually takes ten classes for your body to start to understand the poses.
As one student puts it, “A Bikram yoga class a day keeps the doctor away.”
1. Weight loss
Bikram Yoga is excellent for weight loss. Your digestive system and metabolism will improve, normalizing your appetite and diminishing unhealthy cravings. Your fat will turn into muscle as you develop muscle tone and strength. Warm muscles burn fat more easily as the heat flushes and detoxifies the body. Bikram yoga is known for burning anywhere from 500 to 1000 calories a session. The harder you work in class the more calories you will burn. Your cardiovascular system is worked and strengthened therefore, the more weight loss benefits you will receive. You may see and feel immediate results. You will naturally begin to start eating less and make better food choices.
Bikram Yoga is excellent for weight loss. Your digestive system and metabolism will improve, normalizing your appetite and diminishing unhealthy cravings. Your fat will turn into muscle as you develop muscle tone and strength. Warm muscles burn fat more easily as the heat flushes and detoxifies the body. Bikram yoga is known for burning anywhere from 500 to 1000 calories a session. The harder you work in class the more calories you will burn. Your cardiovascular system is worked and strengthened therefore, the more weight loss benefits you will receive. You may see and feel immediate results. You will naturally begin to start eating less and make better food choices.
2. Arthritis
Many students experience quick relief from arthritis after only a few classes of Bikram Yoga. A combination of the heat and the moving, twisting, extending and compressing of every joint can alleviate arthritis. A regular practice is necessary for continued relief.
3. Blood Pressure
Unstable high blood pressure can respond very quickly to a regular Bikram Yoga practice. Consult your doctor and don’t push too hard for your first few classes. If you are tested about a week after starting Yoga, you may see a slight rise in pressure. Don’t be alarmed. By the second week, that pressure will be normal or close to normal and will stay there as long as you continue your yoga regimen. Many students who maintain a regular practice are able to stop taking blood pressure medication.
Unstable high blood pressure can respond very quickly to a regular Bikram Yoga practice. Consult your doctor and don’t push too hard for your first few classes. If you are tested about a week after starting Yoga, you may see a slight rise in pressure. Don’t be alarmed. By the second week, that pressure will be normal or close to normal and will stay there as long as you continue your yoga regimen. Many students who maintain a regular practice are able to stop taking blood pressure medication.
4. Back Pain
Bikram Yoga has helped countless numbers of people with back pain, stiff necks, headaches, scoliosis, herniated disks and many other back problems. The Bikram Yoga series is designed to work the spine in every direction with many beneficial backbends, creating a healthy spine and thus a healthy nervous system. Make sure to tell your instructor what type of back pain you suffer from in case modifications are necessary.
Bikram Yoga has helped countless numbers of people with back pain, stiff necks, headaches, scoliosis, herniated disks and many other back problems. The Bikram Yoga series is designed to work the spine in every direction with many beneficial backbends, creating a healthy spine and thus a healthy nervous system. Make sure to tell your instructor what type of back pain you suffer from in case modifications are necessary.
5. Skin and Beauty
Watch your face and skin develop “the Bikram glow” as your eyes become brighter and your skin becomes more clear and soft. As you sweat, your pores are opened and cleaned allowing natural lanolin to release through the pores, softening and preserving your skin’s elasticity. “I feel so CLEAN inside and out, and my skin is so SOFT I don’t need moisturizer anymore!” is a student’s comment. Faces in general change expression from looking disturbed and frustrated to looking full of life and happiness. As your body detoxifies, you may eventually never need deodorant again!
Watch your face and skin develop “the Bikram glow” as your eyes become brighter and your skin becomes more clear and soft. As you sweat, your pores are opened and cleaned allowing natural lanolin to release through the pores, softening and preserving your skin’s elasticity. “I feel so CLEAN inside and out, and my skin is so SOFT I don’t need moisturizer anymore!” is a student’s comment. Faces in general change expression from looking disturbed and frustrated to looking full of life and happiness. As your body detoxifies, you may eventually never need deodorant again!
6. DiabetesBikram yoga can be a perfect complement to the lifestyle changes necessary to help keep diabetic symptoms in check. Recent research has found that performing these postures on a regular basis can decrease blood-sugar levels. A dedicated Bikram Yoga student, who lost 50 pounds without dieting, healed his chronic back problems and no longer needed his diabetic medication after practicing Bikram Yoga for 6 months. He tells his story in the book “Diabetic Always, Insulin No More.”
7. Stress & Anxiety Management – Bikram’s guru Bishnu Gosh said “Mental stress and strain is the cause of all diseases, even infectious ones.” When performing the 26 postures and two breathing exercises, the fight-or-flight response is turned off and a feeling of balanced well-being is replaced. A regular practice can lower cortisol levels, calm the mind, increase mental clarity and release and reduce stress and tension.
8. Depression – On those days when you don’t feel like doing anything, going to Bikram Yoga class is key. You just have to show up and the yoga takes care of the rest. After each session your mind will become more balanced and depression will be lifted. The more you practice, the better you will feel. Many students come off antidepressants and other medications after establishing a regular Bikram Yoga practice.
9. Breathing problems – Asthma, Allergies, Respiratory ProblemsBikram Yoga will be good for your breathing problems in several ways. The heat promotes relaxation of the muscles and nerves, and you can work with as much intensity as appropriate for your needs. Bikram Yoga will relax your mind and help let go of tensions, toxins and negativity. It strengthens your heart and lungs, improving your lung function. You will breathe easier and deeper than you ever have before.
Benefits of Hot Yoga Michael Wagner Vero Beach Florida
Michael Wagner Chief Marketing Strategist Vero Beach Florida 772-532-6397
Palm City YOGA
As a certified yoga instructor and self-proclaimed “hot yogi,” I can assure you that there are many benefits to practicing Bikram and hot yoga. But of course, those benefits don’t come without a few precautions as well. Read on for the 411 on how to practice safe hot yoga.
The benefits of a really hot room
Practicing yoga in a heated room increases your pulse rate and metabolism, allowing your blood vessels to become more flexible and making your bod burn some major calories! This in turn makes circulation easier and increases blood flow to the limbs.
"Hot yoga is amazing for weight loss, as you sweat like a fiend. Like other yogas, it will build muscle tone [but will also] improve the lymphatic system and flush out toxins. It's amazing for developing equanimity in the face of adversity and obstacles," says Ingber.
Hot yoga goes above and beyond when it comes to relieving stress and building inner confidence. This practice is the true definition of “mind over matter.” The endorphin rush you receive after completing 60- to 90-minute sweat session will leave you feeling like there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.
While I’m a huge fan of hot yoga, there are definitely some precautions you should take in order to stay safe. Read the tips below before turning up the heat in your practice!
1
Stay hydrated
Ingber recommends drinking 2 to 3 liters throughout the day. You will undoubtedly sweat more during these types of classes than in most other forms of exercise, so it’s very easy to become dehydrated. It is extremely important that you drink plenty of water before, during and after your practice.
"Everyone is encouraged to drink at least eight glasses of fluids per day in general," says yoga expert and director of SpaHalekulani, Kamala Nayeli. "When you exercise, this amount should increase by two to three cups. If you raise your core temperature or partake in a hot yoga class, I would [also] recommend including a small dose of salt prior to the class. Or have a natural 'sports drink' that will replenish the sodium you lose when sweating."
2
The rules for eating before hot yoga
It is important to avoid eating too much or too little before participating in a hot yoga class, which can be a tricky task to master. Nayeli suggests avoiding heavy foods, but encourages light snacks before yoga classes to properly fuel your body.
"Fruit, particularly those that have a high water content such as watermelon, or sodium content like bananas [are great to eat before class]," she says. "Dried fruit is good, too (figs, raisins, apricots, etc.). Seeds and nuts are also great. However, I would limit the dairy intake before class."
Ingber agrees and recommends snacks like half a banana, melon or almonds.
3
Listen to your body
It is important not to overexert during hot yoga classes. The warm temperatures and practice of poses can make your body feel looser and more flexible than normal, which can make it easier to pull a muscle. Be mindful of your body and try not to overstretch or push yourself too far when first starting out.
Gradually let yourself experiment with poses as your body adjusts and becomes more accustomed to the atmosphere and workout. If you feel any symptoms of heat exhaustion, such as dizziness, nausea, headache, confusion, poor vision or weakness, stop your practice and immediately leave the room.
"Personally, I do not recommend hot yoga for beginners," says Nayeli. "Rather, it's something to build yourself up to. Every body is different and not always suitable for such an intense workout in such intense heat. I have seen some harsh and concerning reactions in class with people not realizing what to expect, and then they feel they need to 'keep up' with the rest of the class even though their body is saying 'take a break.' "
Ingber says one of her main concerns for hot yogis is the strict guidelines a studio may have about staying in the room. "It's really important to listen to your body more than the teacher."
4
Check with your doctor
If you have any injuries or health concerns, such as diabetes, cardiovascular or respiratory disease, or a history of heat-related illness, make sure to get your doctor’s OK before practicing hot yoga.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Michael Wagner Back in Action Chiropractic and Yoga Center Palm City Florida
Duane Michael Wagner Palm City Florida Back in Action Chiropractic and Yoga Center
Michael Wagner 772-532-6397
Back and neck pain are the chief complaints for which patients seek chiropractic help. Through manual spinal manipulation, chiropractic care is a holistic therapy that focuses on maintaining healthy musculoskeletal and nervous systems to ensure overall wellness.
Effectiveness
The research about chiropractic care is growing. According to the Annals of Internal Medicine
, recent studies show that spinal manipulative therapy performed by a chiropractor, along with exercise, relieve neck pain more effectively than medication.
The research about chiropractic care is growing. According to the Annals of Internal Medicine
, recent studies show that spinal manipulative therapy performed by a chiropractor, along with exercise, relieve neck pain more effectively than medication.
Furthermore, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported that an integrated approach to health care -- including chiropractic care -- results in a 51.8 percent reduction in pharmaceutical costs and 43 percent fewer hospital admissions.
reported that an integrated approach to health care -- including chiropractic care -- results in a 51.8 percent reduction in pharmaceutical costs and 43 percent fewer hospital admissions.
You should consider seeing a chiropractor if you experience frequent pain in your back, neck or joints, as well as headaches. This is especially so if intense soreness follows accidents, household chores or prolonged periods of poor posture.
Back and neck pain
Chiropractors are best known for safely and effectively treating acute back and neck pain, as well as headaches. Whereas a medical doctor might prescribe pain medicine, muscle relaxers or anti-inflammatory drugs, and an orthopedic doctor might suggest surgery, a chiropractor will treat your back problems by hand, through manipulation of the spine.
Chiropractors are best known for safely and effectively treating acute back and neck pain, as well as headaches. Whereas a medical doctor might prescribe pain medicine, muscle relaxers or anti-inflammatory drugs, and an orthopedic doctor might suggest surgery, a chiropractor will treat your back problems by hand, through manipulation of the spine.
Nancy Elwartowski-Cooper, a pediatric and prenatal chiropractor, sees more and more referrals from medical doctors: "They (patients) are tired of the drugs and want answers to what is causing their problems."
Chiropractors bring the musculoskeletal structure into proper alignment. Chiropractors change the position of your body and apply pressure to particular points along the spine that are not properly aligned. This results in a popping noise similar to the one created when you crack your knuckles. The noise is created by a change in pressure in your joints as gas bubbles are released.
By adjusting the spine with their hands at particular pressure points, chiropractors unblock nerve energy and allow it to flow better down your spin and throughout your entire body. Repeated visits can, over time, realign your spine to optimize overall health.
Chiropractor Brian Elwartowski said the brain sends messages down the spinal cord and out through the nerves to the rest of your body. If certain nerves are squeezed by a twist in the spine, they won't function as well as if they were straight. "Chiropractic [care] allows the nerves to work at their most optimum ability," he said, "allowing the body to heal at its optimum ability."
Treatment plan
Many chiropractors seek to care for the whole person, from general wellness to disease prevention. They examine every patient, not only for the reason of their visit but also their level of health. After diagnosis, a chiropractor develops a treatment plan.
Many chiropractors seek to care for the whole person, from general wellness to disease prevention. They examine every patient, not only for the reason of their visit but also their level of health. After diagnosis, a chiropractor develops a treatment plan.
Keith Overland, president of the American Chiropractic Association, said, "This may include combinations of chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy and rehabilitative procedures for many musculoskeletal problems."
, president of the American Chiropractic Association, said, "This may include combinations of chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy and rehabilitative procedures for many musculoskeletal problems."
Some chiropractors provide nutrition advice, exercise recommendations, ergonomic and lifestyle counseling and so on. The successful management of chronic conditions may require a combination of these major components. This holistic approach can reduce the need for potentially addictive pain medication or invasive surgery.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/02/how-can-chiropractors-benefit-your-health/#ixzz2enStglqs
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Michael Wagner Chief Marketing Strategist Vero Beach Fl
Michael Wagner Chief Marketing Strategist Vero Beach Fl 727-557-993
Highly accomplished, visionary executive with proven ability to impact financial, social, and political goals through commitment to global issues, innovation, and diversity. Results-oriented, decisive leader offering 15+ years of success in sales, operations, and marketing. Deliver excellence in execution and developing people, utilizing international / multicultural experience to provide unique perspective and creative solutions, achieving high performance within diverse organizational cultures. Demonstrate rapid advancement based on high performance, with the ability to quickly transfer skills across industries. Self-starter with strong entrepreneurial spirit, high integrity, and solid work ethic; creative, highly analytical, and able to successfully manage multiple concurrent projects with keen attention to detail, excellent organization, and outstanding persuasive skills. Able to skillfully inspire, motivate, and lead teams for consistently winning outcomes.
Does your Mortgage Banker Charge Junk Fee's?
Watch Out For "Junk" Mortgage Fees
For most people, buying real estate is an uncommon occurrence. Engaging in real estate transactions just once or twice in a lifetime provides little opportunity to become intimately familiar with the process. There are mountains of paperwork to sign, a confusing new vocabulary to deal with, and a host of fast-talking sales people - from real estate agents to mortgage brokers - who smile, point and tell you where to sign.
Somewhere in the mix of elation at purchasing a property and boredom from signing forms, it's easy to lose track of what you're paying for and how much you're spending. Aside from the amount of the mortgage, most of the other expenses get lumped into a category referred to as "closing costs". Paying attention to these costs can help you understand where your money is going and maybe even save you a few hundred dollars. Read on to learn more.
Closing Costs: What Are They?The phrase "closing costs" is shorthand for the total cost of several dozen potential expenses associated with purchasing and financing real estate. These expenses can be categorized as "recurring" and "nonrecurring".
Recurring CostsRecurring costs get paid not only at closing, but also on a monthly basis thereafter, and include real estate taxes, homeowners insurance, and, if you're putting less than 20% down, private mortgage insurance (PMI). (For more on PMI, check out Six Reasons To Avoid Private Mortgage Insurance andOutsmart Private Mortgage Insurance.)
These expenses must be funded in advance at the time of purchase, which is done by putting them into an account so that they are available to cover the next year's obligations. This is known as putting the money in escrow. Depending on your closing date, it may also be necessary to prepayinterest to cover your first few days or weeks in the home. (Learn the 10 steps that lead up to closing the deal on your new home and taking possession in Understanding The Escrow Process.)
Nonrecurring CostsNonrecurring costs are also paid at closing. They may include:
How Much Do They Cost?Fees vary widely based on the lender, the geographical location of the property and the price of the home. The Federal Reserve Board provides some general guidelines for some of the most common fees:
Watch Out for the Garbage"Garbage fees", also known as "junk fees", are tacked on to most mortgages. There is no way to completely avoid them, but you can often minimize them.
Look out for excessive processing and documentation fees in the following categories:
All-In-One Closing Cost PricingRealizing that consumers are overwhelmed by the fees and frustrated at the process of trying to determine whether the fees are fair, some lenders now offer "all-in-one" flat-rate fees that include all closing costs. The "all-in-one" terminology is used to describe other mortgage products as well, such as mortgages that are tied to checking accounts, so care must be taken when shopping for these products to purchase the one that applies strictly to mortgage closing costs without consideration to other banking relationships or products. (Offset mortgages combine a checking account, home-equity loan and mortgage into one account. Learn more about it in All-In-One Mortgage A Good Option For Thrifty Buyers.)
As a general rule, you can expect to spend from 3-5% of the price of the property in closing costs.
Minimize the PainIf the real estate market in your area is favorable to buyers, you may be able to ask the seller to pay closing costs. If that isn't an option, getting an all-in-one mortgage is probably the best way to minimize the feeling that you are being taken advantage of during the closing process. While you are still paying the fees, you won't need to despair over them one fee at a time.
Comparison shopping is another way to get comfortable with the process and get a better feel for the costs. Ask half a dozen lenders to provide good faith estimates and compare the results. This will help you learn the terminology and get a sense of the range of closing fees in your area. Once you choose a lender and have a good faith estimate in hand, save it. It will come in handy later.
Somewhere in the mix of elation at purchasing a property and boredom from signing forms, it's easy to lose track of what you're paying for and how much you're spending. Aside from the amount of the mortgage, most of the other expenses get lumped into a category referred to as "closing costs". Paying attention to these costs can help you understand where your money is going and maybe even save you a few hundred dollars. Read on to learn more.
Closing Costs: What Are They?The phrase "closing costs" is shorthand for the total cost of several dozen potential expenses associated with purchasing and financing real estate. These expenses can be categorized as "recurring" and "nonrecurring".
Recurring CostsRecurring costs get paid not only at closing, but also on a monthly basis thereafter, and include real estate taxes, homeowners insurance, and, if you're putting less than 20% down, private mortgage insurance (PMI). (For more on PMI, check out Six Reasons To Avoid Private Mortgage Insurance andOutsmart Private Mortgage Insurance.)
These expenses must be funded in advance at the time of purchase, which is done by putting them into an account so that they are available to cover the next year's obligations. This is known as putting the money in escrow. Depending on your closing date, it may also be necessary to prepayinterest to cover your first few days or weeks in the home. (Learn the 10 steps that lead up to closing the deal on your new home and taking possession in Understanding The Escrow Process.)
Nonrecurring CostsNonrecurring costs are also paid at closing. They may include:
- points
- an application fee (profit for the lender)
- a series of loan fees (that may include an origination fee, appraisal fee, credit report fee, tax service fee, underwriting fee, document preparation fee, wire transfer fee, office administration fees, etc.),
- a broker's service fee (if you are working with a mortgage broker)
- any lender-required home inspections (such as a pest inspection)
- the cost of a lender-required home appraisal (in which someone is paid to verify that the property is worth at least as much as the selling price)
- Federal Housing Administration (FHA) fees
- Veteran's Administration (VA) fees
- Rural Housing Service (RHS) fees associated with mortgages guaranteed by the government
- a flood determination fee to investigate whether the property is an area prone to flooding
- a land survey to verify the property's boundaries
- title charges (which may include a settlement fee, title search, title examination, closing service letter, deed preparation, notary fees, attorney's fees and title insurance).
How Much Do They Cost?Fees vary widely based on the lender, the geographical location of the property and the price of the home. The Federal Reserve Board provides some general guidelines for some of the most common fees:
| Fee | Cost |
| Application Fee | $75 to $300 (including credit report for each applicant) |
| Loan Origination Fee | 1-1.5% of loan amount |
| Points | 0-3% of loan amount |
| Appraisal Fee | $300 to $700 |
| Lender-Required Home Inspection | $175 to $350 |
| Prepaid Interest | Varies based on loan amount, interest rate and number of days that must be paid ($300 to $750 is not unusual) |
| Private Mortgage Insurance | Up to 1.5% of loan amount to prepay first year |
| FHA, VA, or RHS Fees | 1.5%, 1.25-2.0%, or 1.75% |
| Homeowners Insurance | $300 to $1,000/yr. depending on home price |
| Flood Determination Fee | $15 to $50 |
| Survey | $150 to $400 |
| Source: Federal Reserve Board | |
Watch Out for the Garbage"Garbage fees", also known as "junk fees", are tacked on to most mortgages. There is no way to completely avoid them, but you can often minimize them.
Look out for excessive processing and documentation fees in the following categories:
- Application fee
- Underwriting fee
- Mortgage rate lock fee
- Loan processing fee
- Broker rebate
All-In-One Closing Cost PricingRealizing that consumers are overwhelmed by the fees and frustrated at the process of trying to determine whether the fees are fair, some lenders now offer "all-in-one" flat-rate fees that include all closing costs. The "all-in-one" terminology is used to describe other mortgage products as well, such as mortgages that are tied to checking accounts, so care must be taken when shopping for these products to purchase the one that applies strictly to mortgage closing costs without consideration to other banking relationships or products. (Offset mortgages combine a checking account, home-equity loan and mortgage into one account. Learn more about it in All-In-One Mortgage A Good Option For Thrifty Buyers.)
As a general rule, you can expect to spend from 3-5% of the price of the property in closing costs.
Minimize the PainIf the real estate market in your area is favorable to buyers, you may be able to ask the seller to pay closing costs. If that isn't an option, getting an all-in-one mortgage is probably the best way to minimize the feeling that you are being taken advantage of during the closing process. While you are still paying the fees, you won't need to despair over them one fee at a time.
Comparison shopping is another way to get comfortable with the process and get a better feel for the costs. Ask half a dozen lenders to provide good faith estimates and compare the results. This will help you learn the terminology and get a sense of the range of closing fees in your area. Once you choose a lender and have a good faith estimate in hand, save it. It will come in handy later.
Conclusion
The official form that includes a breakdown of all closing costs is called an HUD-1 form. You have a right to see the HUD-1 document 24 hours in advance of closing. Ask for it and compare it to the good faith estimate. If the numbers aren't reasonably close, ask questions.
By spending time to comparison shop and by carefully reviewing all documentation, you can minimize the expense and anxiety associated with the closing costs involved in purchasing real estate.
Make this mistake and you'll lose thousands when refinancing your mortgage
Duane Michael Wagner Vero Beach Palm Beach Gardens Fl, Chief Marketing Strategist
Make this mistake and you'll lose thousands when refinancing your mortgage
Jan. 1, 2013 at 5:34 AM ET
I had just borrowed about a quarter-million dollars and my question was simple: "How do I pay you back?"
The woman on the other end of the phone, however, couldn't tell me. Ten days had passed since I signed the papers to refinance my home and, with the holidays approaching, I was worried my first payment would be late. She tried to soothe me with perhaps the most misunderstood phrase of the refinancing process: "Don't worry. You get to skip a payment."
Had I listened to her, it would have cost me thousands of dollars. And if you are one of the millions of homeowners who will refinance in 2013, it could cost you, too.
If your new year’s resolution is to save money or get control of the family budget, refinancing remains a really good option. But the idea that “skipping” the first payment can be pain free, financially speaking, is a myth, repeated over and over by loan officers like mine. Sometimes they are lying, sometimes they are misinformed and sometimes they are just trying to get an annoying borrower like me off the phone. But with rare exception, they are giving bad advice. (News flash: Whenever a bank seems to be doing you a favor, it probably has a hand in your wallet.)
Real estate transactions are already confusing enough. There are questions surrounding when you make your last payment on the old loan, when you make your first payment on the new loan, how many extra days of interest you pay toward both your old and your new loan, and when you are paying for both loans. We'll get to those tricky issues in a moment, but the priciest mistake you might make in a refinance is also the simplest one to correct.
You've heard this before, but this time, it's probably true: mortgage interest rates are at historic lows, and there may never be a better time to refinance. It's hard to imagine rates going any lower than the 3 percent range they are at now, but it's easy to imagine that, at the first signs of a real economic recovery or real inflation, they will climb sharply during 2013. The low interest rates that the Federal Reserve has imposed to boost the economy have been punishing for many, notably savers, who can barely earn 1 percent interest on their bank accounts and certificates of deposit. The one perk for consumers from the Fed’s interest rate policy is the ability to get cheap home and auto loans. If you haven't refinanced your mortgage in the past 24 months or so, you are missing out.
Fortunately, many American homeowners have gotten the message. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage holders engaged in $1.3 trillion worth of refinancing in 2012. In fact, more than four out of five new mortgages in 2012 were refinanced loans, not home purchases.
I wish there were a way to know how many of those borrowers chose to skip that first payment.
'Can I get that in writing?' 'No'
My loan officer was lazy, I believe, and -- knowing that my loan had closed and all the commissions were guaranteed -- just wanted me off the phone as soon as possible. My call was unusual. I am always overly cautious when I set up any kind of new loan payment, as the chances for error are great: a wrong loan number on a check, a bad address, etc. So I always make the first payment early to make sure nothing goes wrong. That good habit proved profitable this time.
When I signed my loan papers, there were no payment instructions in my closing documents (not terribly unusual). My loan officer said I would receive payment coupons later. But when 10 days passed, and I heard nothing, I called. She sent me to the bank's customer service line, where I was informed that there was no record of my loan. (Did that mean I didn’t have to pay it back? Sadly, No.) Customer service transferred me back to my loan officer. She assured me that their computers would catch up to my urge to pay the loan, and I’d get payment information soon. Incredulous that they seemed not to want my money, I persisted. She tapped a few keys on her keyboard, made me wait a minute, then told me that my loan had funded on Dec. 5, so I didn't have to make a payment until Feb. 1.
"But my documents say repayment begins Jan. 1," I said. "So you're saying there will be no late fees if I don't pay Jan. 1?"
"Yes," she said.
"Can I get that in writing.?”
"No. I can't do that."
At that point, I did what any mature consumer would do: I laughed. And then I muttered something about the 100 pieces of paper they just made me sign, with innocuous documents putting the finest point on everything you can imagine, like the form I initialed in multiple places agreeing that, yes, I am known by Bob, Robert, Bobby, Robby and various other nicknames. Yet I couldn’t get the bank to put something in writing saying when I should make my loan payment?
My loan officer didn't laugh, but eventually she put me on the phone with a supervisor who sounded very grave. She'd done additional research, she said, and found out that the reason customer service couldn't find my loan was because it had already been sold to another bank. We called that bank together and found out my loan actually funded on Nov. 30, so my first payment was indeed due on Jan. 1. And I would have been liable for about an $80 late fee if I had listened to my loan officer. The manager profusely apologized.
Steep penalty anyway
But I'm not writing to warn you about late fees. There's a much bigger culprit here you have to worry about. Had I followed my loan officer's advice and skipped a payment, even if the bank waived the late fee (which the manager said was likely), I would have paid a steep penalty anyway. You've probably guessed the punch line: there's no such thing as skipping a payment. In reality, homeowners are borrowing that money and extending the loan term for an extra month. The payment will be tacked onto the end of the loan, with interest. How much? If it's a conventional loan, that’s 30 years’ worth of interest. Effectively, you are borrowing one month's payment for 30 years. Ouch!
"Skipping is a misnomer. A better description would be ‘deferring with additional interest added,'" said Jack Guttentag, a professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania who also runs a consumer education website called MortgageProfessor.com.
Just how much extra interest can skipping that first payment cost you? There are too many variables to create a decent rule of thumb. But here's an illustration from Guttentag's sitewith deliberately round numbers. Skip the first payment of $500 on a $100,000 loan at 6 percent, and you will pay an additional $2,993 in interest during the 30 years.
Forget the $75 late fee. That's real money. As Guttentag puts it, "a payment that is miniscule to one is a fortune to another."
Some loan officers say they only won't offer the "skip-a-payment" option unless the refinance closes toward the end of the month, when the homeowner might have trouble coming up with the extra cash for closing costs and a fresh mortgage payment close together. Others say they offer it all the time.
To be clear: Most borrowers don’t actually complete their 30-year loans before moving or refinancing, so few would end up paying that high a penalty. Also, it's important to note that my bank didn't even hold the loan, so they weren't profiting from the “skip-a-payment” advice. I believe this is usually a lazy mistake, not a greedy one. Still, the basic truth holds. Don't be tempted to skip a payment when you refinance unless you really, really need the cash for some unusual expense (Christmas credit card bills are probably not the best reason.)
Skipped payments are not to be confused with other loan closing related interest payments, including:
*Your last payment on the old loan. You can't skip that, either. If your loan closes near the end of the month, you should still make the scheduled payment to your old bank. Why? Interest is actually paid in arrears, meaning you pay at the end of the month the cost of borrowing the money for that month. It's confusing, because mortgage payments are really two payments at once -- last month's interest and next month's principal. To keep it simple, if your loan closes on the Nov. 30, you will be paying November's interest with your Dec. 1 payment, along with December’s principal. You won't need to make the December principal payment if you refinance on Nov. 30, but most folks pay far more in interest than principal because they are early in their loan's term, so the overpayment won't be large. Just pay it to avoid late fees, and enjoy any refund that comes your way.
*Pre-paid interest. When your loan closes in the middle of the month, your new bank will make you pay up-front (as opposed to in arrears) daily interest for the remaining days of the month. If you close on the 20th, you'll pay 10 more days of interest payments. That's OK, it means you won't owe the money on the back end of the loan.
*Money for nothing: The three-day (or more) overlap. There's an odd quirk in most refinancing deals in which there are several days when the homeowner will be paying interest on the same loan to both banks. In most states, consumers have a three-day "right of rescission" after signing their refinancing papers, meaning they can cancel the new loan if they get buyer's remorse. Such regret laws are very consumer-friendly and are necessary because of nefarious loan officers who tricked consumers into bad deals in the past. But, in this case, the consumer-friendly law is also costly, as it means both banks have liability for the loan during that rescission period, and are both entitled to collect interest. Note: The regret period is usually three business days, so if your closing stretches over a weekend, the double-interest period can be even more costly.
It's important to keep all these quirky, refinance-related interest payments straight when talking to your loan officer, so you'll know what to do when he or she suggests you can skip a payment. None of this should scare you away from refinancing, which is really the only way you can make the recession work for you.
But remember, you are refinancing to save money, and you probably shopped around trying to save $50 here or $100 there on closing costs; don't lose thousands of dollars because of one false move after closing.
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